Romance Author Hotspot

Please join me in welcoming our newest party animal/blogger Janelle Lee!

Someone is always asking me why I write… My usual response is “If I told you I would have to kill you.” Writers get strange questions but they get stranger looks. Or maybe it is just me. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I actually have been known to leave the house without brushing my hair… But I really believe it is because when someone asks me what I do for a crust (living) I say I am a writer. The usual response comes with the look of disbelief followed by the  “Really?” My usual sarcastic retort is “There are a million things I could lie about and I picked that.”

The funniest look was from a couple of women in aisle five at the supermarket. My husband was down one end with the trolley while I was slowly making my way down towards him. I wasn’t actually shopping so to speak I was thinking about a particular scene in a particular chapter. Sometimes my thinking doesn’t stay inside my head. “What sort of gun would I need to shoot the most amount of people in the least amount of time?”

It wasn’t until I saw the looks on the women’s faces and my husband rolling his eyes when I realized that my question was said out loud. The women stared at me as if I was about to pull an automatic weapon from my pocket. I smiled at the women bid them a good day and hurried towards my husband who was waiting for me. “That was fun.”

“Why do you have to do that?” he asked.

I shrugged.

Years ago an editor told me if my story wasn’t going anywhere I needed to kill someone off. It works a treat. I tell my students the same thing and with children you never know what you are going to get. I was working with the Year 5 students when one of them came over to me and told me she didn’t know what to write next. I told her to kill someone off. Probably not the most appropriate thing to tell a ten year old but I figured there were worse things I could have told her.

She made her way back to her seat with a new found confidence. Twenty minutes later she returned to show me the finished product. My right eyebrow rose as I read how she killed off thirty people in a fiery train crash. She looked expectantly at me. I had to hand it to her she certainly understood the difference between showing and telling. “Fantastic,” I told her and watched as her smile lit up her whole face.

The next morning her mother came to school to see me. I was expecting maybe a phone call but a face-to-face conversation was going to make it really interesting.

I had a whole speech prepared that included how children should be free to express themselves and I am not here to censor them in any way. My speech was a waste of time as her mother wanted to thank me for encouraging her daughter and to tell me how much she was enjoying the class. I shelved the speech and to this day I haven’t had to use it. Like me many years before the student learnt that writing is the only way you can kill someone and get away with it.

Eavesdroppers are a constant source of amusement for me. When a bunch of writers get together for lunch you can be sure writing is the only subject on the conversation menu. After eating my entrée and waiting patiently for my dessert (I hardly ever eat a main due to it getting in the way of dessert) one of my fellow diners asked me what I was working on. I told her that I was contemplating killing off one of my characters – a child – but decided that I would kill the child’s puppy instead by slitting its throat.

The woman at the next table suddenly fired off a verbal spray at me and told me I should be reported to the police and how some people should be shot. I figured that I was one of those people. I laughed at the woman, which only infuriated her more. My dining companions wanted to explain to her what I was actually talking about but I told them not to bother. It was more fun my way.

Another thing people ask about being a writer is what is the worse thing. Many writers would say the aloneness but to me it is the “Oh, you are a writer. I wrote a book do you want to read it?” Which usually equates to can you read it and fix it. A friend of a friend asked me to ‘read’ their masterpiece… Alright it wasn’t described in that way but it came close. Grammar and punctuation were non-existent, the sex scenes were laughable and I still had to work out the genre. The best I could come up with was erotica/saga/horror although the horror could have been due to the grammar and punctuation problems along with the strange wording to describe the sex. I have no idea what an oopla loopa is and quite frankly I don’t think I want to know.

When I handed it back to my friend. He asked me what I thought. I replied with “How good of a friend is your friend?”

“That bad?” he asked.

“Worse.”

Happy writing.

  BLURB: Tim O’Flaherty’s boyhood dream was to become a pilot. His dream was shattered on September 11th 2001. Fleeing the country in an attempt to rid himself of the guilt and pain he soon realizes that there is no escaping the nightmare. He arrives in Australia where he finds a deep connection with Bondi Beach. The goal of becoming a lifeguard is what drives him and when he saves a woman from drowning he inadvertently saves himself.

If you like what you’ve read you can find more from Janelle:

Twitter:    http://www.Twitter.com/janellelee747

Facebook:    Janelle Lee Author

Website:    www.janellelee.com

Thanks for stopping by Janelle!  She’s also giving away a free (PDF-format) copy of “Saving Tim” to a random commenter.  Good luck!

Hi there!  Today’s guest of honor is Juliet Chastain!  Pleae join me in welcoming her and her blog:

Greetings, fellow romance readers and writers.  I’ve just finished writing a series of short stories called Gypsy Lovers. These are sexy novellas, set in the Regency period about Gypsies and the English men and women love them.

I wanted to do some stories in which totally inappropriate, culturally, and socially mismatched men and women find love together—or don’t. I’m not a big fan of stories in which a rich man comes along and rescues the heroine but prefer protagonists who are willing to go without material goodies in order to be with the one they love. In two of my four Gypsy stories wealthy aristocrats fall for traveling Romani musicians who just aren’t all that interested in giving up their life on the road for wealth and prestige.

In the just-issued To Tempt a Gypsy a beautiful noblewoman want to amuse herself by seducing the handsome Romani musician, Cambio Adams, and couldn’t care less that he has promised to wed Tsura, a Gypsy lass. Lady Chinton always gets what she wants, and what she wants is Cambio. She wines and dines him and flirts most charmingly. He begins to doubt his love for his Romani sweetheart and is sorely tempted to succumb to the wanton aristocrat. The lady figures that if her charm and beauty can’t seduce this impoverished Gypsy, her fabulous wealth can. What she doesn’t count on is falling in love with him. It’s touch and go all the way.

In a previous book, For Love of a Gypsy Lass, we have a bored-out-of-his-skull English nobleman, Lord Harry Beresford who has simply had it with his luxurious and dull existence and the noble and dull ladies he is supposed to court. He falls hard for an itinerant Gypsy singer called Talaitha Grey. He assumes she can be easily seduced by his wealth and prestige, but to his surprise she’s not the least bit interested in any of that—although she is, against her will, attracted to the man behind it all.

Somehow these characters must find their way to happily ever after—and they do so in unexpected ways.

To Tempt a Gypsy and For Love of a Gypsy Lass, are available at:

Breathless Press!

| Amazon |

All Romance eBooks  and at many e-book stores!

To learn more about upcoming stories or about me: julietchastain.com.

While you’re there, check out my other short romances:

The Captain and the Courtesan

The Cry of the Wolf

as well as my other Gypsy tales.

You can also find me on www.facebook.com/JulietChastain

or

Twitter@julietchastain

Thank you for stopping by Juliet!  Please feel free to say hi to her below 

Hi folks!  Thanks for your patience – happy to bring us back to a regular schedule with a GiveAway from Avril Ashton!

Today, our guest of honor is Avril Ashton. It’s so nice to have you here! Hope you’re ready to party! Thanks for hosting me today!

First Questions: Wine or beer? (If you say club soda, we’ll have to send you to the corner…)

Beer. I like a nice, cold Corona.

Cake or chips? Are you a sugar or salt kind of person?

Cake. I like it sweet.

*squints eyes * Are you old enough to drink? LOL I am. Barely

Wait! You can’t come in yet! What did you bring us?

Blurb: He’s her ex’s brother, yet Arden Windham aches to be in Cam Mercer’s arms. The man is rude and obnoxious, his blue eyes cold and unfeeling, but he makes her body melt. Being with ex-con Cam is nowhere in her plans, not if she wants the affection she’s worked so hard to gain from her overbearing father. Still, Cam’s touch is unlike anything she’s ever felt and Arden finds herself having to choose between her wants and her needs.

Cameron Mercer is his family’s black sheep, a man apart. For six months he watched Arden waste her time with his twin and now she’s free, he’s not waiting another minute. He’s on a campaign to get her off the tight rope she’s been walking. There’s a rebel behind that smooth façade and he’s on a mission to set Arden free. Too bad she insists on putting up a fight.

What makes your characters so special?

Aside from the fact that I say they are? I like my women strong, vulgar and take charge, and I only deal with the men who can keep up with them.

Alright, I guess you can come in. Now off to the roast!

So, what do you write? And why?

I write romance. In all its shades and many of its genres. Because there are people in my head who won’t shut up? Because it’s the only thing I do well.

Why did you want to become an author?

I like stories. Reading and telling. I love the emotion and the journey and that oh-so-satisfying ending. It was a natural progression. I also revere the author who can make me cry. My goal is to make the reader tear up, one at a time.

What would your characters say about you?

They’d probably say I read way too much. And I’m always crying and cursing at them.

What do you like doing besides writing and reading? Is it dangerous?

I eat cake. It can be dangerous, yes. LOL

What do you think makes a good story?

A good story is one that grabs the reader from the first paragraph of the first page and never lets up. It’s one that makes you feel, makes you care, and gets you emotional. Be it angry, sad, or happy. Any story that elicits a visceral reaction is a good story.

What are you passionate about?

I’m passionate about books, about love and about life. I’m passionate about equality, responsibility and accountability.

Do you like more Alpha or Beta heroes?

Gimme Alphas any day.

Last question: Where can our partygoers find you and your work?

Website:    http://www.avrilashton.webs.com

Twitter:    @AvrilAsh – http://www.twitter.com/AvrilAsh

Facebook:    http://www.facebook.com/writeravrilashton

Thank you so much for coming!

Thanks again for having me. One lucky commenter will get the chance to win a pdf of their choice of one of my backlist titles. Please include your email address with your comments.

Our current featured author is indeed still Sondrea Bennet!  Don’t forget, a random commenter will recieve a free e-copy of Arctic Winds (first book in the series) from Sondrea!

Have you ever wanted something so much, felt that something was so perfect for you, that you couldn’t imagine not getting it? That no other possible future existed? Most of us have. Whether it’s that job you were sure was yours, or that weight loss goal driving us on the treadmill, we’ve all felt that certainty that something was meant to be. That tightness in the chest that assails us just at the thought that something might not come to pass.

In Worth Fighting For, Misty knows that she and Cody are meant for each other with the same blind certainty. And when Cody remains blind to the attraction between them, Misty is forced to take extreme action to get what she wants.

What would you do to get the man of your dreams?

Blurb

All’s fair in love and war. As leader of a fox skulk, Cody is used to feeling protective. But when his best friend, Misty, gets attacked, his panic has nothing to do with duty. Suddenly, he’s noticing Misty as a woman instead of the girl he grew up with. But pursuing those feelings would risk their friendship, something he’s unwilling to do.

Misty’s tried everything, without success, to convince Cody she’s not “one of the guys”. Yet now that he’s looking at her like she always dreamed, he pulls away every time she gets close.

Danger lurks in the background, waiting to pounce. Someone plots against the foxes, leaving them all in jeopardy…especially Misty. Will Cody overcome his fears in time to save the woman he loves?

If you’re interested in more from Sondrea you can find her:

Twitter:   http://www.twitter.com/sondraebennett

Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sondrae-Bennett/177510252275496

Website:   www.sondraebennett.com

A random commentator below will recieve a free e-copy of Arctic Winds (first book in the series) from Sondrea!

Please welcome special surprise guest Lynn Crain!  She was kind enough to step up for a party-pooper and we <3 her for it!!! 

Everyone knows I’m an erotic romance writer. I don’t hide the fact at all. If the story calls for some steamy hot sex, then the story gets that scene. The one thing I do get reminded of occasionally is the fact I used to be a blush queen growing up. This was brought home to me when I recently pulled up an article from another author who talked about her ‘blush-o-meter’ and it reminded me of how I used to be.

Growing up, it didn’t take much to get me going. I know I was the only high school senior to be photographed with the then President Gerald Ford who could compete with the sun. It has it good and bad points. Still, the story reminded me of my early days as an erotic romance writer and two specific times when blushing got me a lot of attention.

The first one was when I was asked to bring my very first completed book to a college gang party. These were the people I had learned to become an adult with and I had a lot of apprehension. These people had embarrassed me and held me when I cried or when I was sick. There were many good and bad memories with these folks.

I told the DH, Gordon, and he convinced me it was all good. But as we got closer to the party, the more trepidation I was feeling.

Once there, the manuscript was being handed around and then I started getting comments like, ‘great job’ and ‘I’ve never know anyone who completed a whole book before’ and then I saw one of my old college boyfriends reading it.

He walked up to me and stated, “You know if you’d done that to me, maybe we’d still be together.”

I could feel my face turning warm and I had to be very careful here. If I said the wrong thing, he’d think I still liked him or something. “Maybe I would have if you deserved that type of treatment.”

“Gordon must be a very lucky man.” He walked away as the DH walked up.

“What’s wrong with him?” DH asks.

“He got to the love scene.”

“Oh.”

“He said you were a lucky guy.”

“He did.” DH puffs up and says, “I think I’ll go talk to the guys.”

The college girl friends came up. “What’s up with the guys? And how about you…you’re blushing!”

“They’re all talking about the love scene.”

“No wonder you’re blushing!”
I looked at them and arched a brow. “Maybe I should remind all of your husbands, we all went to college together. After all I didn’t win a knockwurst contest.” Every other woman at the party had a face redder than mine. LOL! Revenge is soooo sweet!

The next big time that I can remember me really, really blushing was when I wrote my first BDSM story about six years ago now. It was also the last time that I can remember me having that particular affliction. I had to do a lot of what I considered covert research as I prepared to write this story of a woman’s darkest fantasies. Finally, I got the courage to just sit down and get it done. The whole day, I would write a sentence and get up to pace, wondering what I was doing since I knew nothing of that world. Still, I plugged away at it until I eventually got it right. It was the first thing I sold to eXtasy books. I was really surprised.

But half way into the process, my husband shocked me by showing up in my office. My face went from zero to RED in the span of less than 10 seconds.

“Something wrong?”

“No, why are you asking?”

He gives me his quirky smile and says, “There are only a few times I’ve ever seen you blush in twenty years.”

I sat still. “Really?”

“Yeah. It’s mainly when I caught you doing something you shouldn’t and when you’re thinking about sex.”

I gasped. “What makes you think I’m doing something I shouldn’t? I’m an adult.”

“With an antiquated idea about sex sometimes. If you’re going to really be an erotic romance writer, you have some changing to do.” He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. “I’m sure that practice will help!”

I roll my eyes and tell him nothing is going to happen until I finish this story.

That very day, my whole attitude changed. I wasn’t ashamed of my writing at all. It was just that I was brought up in the Bible belt and as anyone who has grown up there knows, the fear of God and sex can be pounded into you from the moment you walk. And lordy, the brimstone…LOL! There is absolutely nothing wrong with sex. It’s a natural thing and we have such a backward sexual outlook in America that it took some retraining on my part to not let it worry me at all. Now, I barely bat an eye. There’s a private me and a writer me.

I advertise my very sexy books all the time and I do write to every heat level as the story dictates. I am passionate about all my books as every author should be. If you’re embarrassed about it, you don’t need to be writing it at all. I write what I love and nothing compromises that position. Sometimes my characters want the full Monty and others, they want it very sweet.

Now it’s my DH’s turn to blush every time he drives my car. My license plate says ERWRTER and he’s been asked many times what it means. I’ll show you all a picture sometime. He tells them the truth…it means…Erotic Romance Writer. The moment he tells the women, they get a gleam in their eye and say ‘Ah’ while the men just shake their heads and walk away, knowing they wouldn’t be caught dead in my car.

Let me know if you’ve ever had any embarrassing moments in your early days, authors.

Blurb from “The Harvester” in the Girl’s Night Out Series:

Princess Sky Xera Nerezsh came to earth to avoid the normal succession path to the throne. Being the oldest daughter, she will be required to murder her mother in order to secure her path to power. Sky loves her mother and refuses this path, choosing instead to disappear in the vast reaches of space. When her past collides with her present, she has to think quick on her feet, claim two men and a whole planet just to avoid the inevitable: a meeting with her mother. Along the way, she discovers true love and a burning need to be there for them always. Now if the other Harvesters can just keep to themselves, they’ll have no problems. But who said true love was ever easy.

If you enjoy what you’ve read you can find more from Lynn here:

 Email:  lynncrain@cox.net

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/oddlynn3

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/oddlynn3

Website:  www.lynncrain.com

Buylink: 

http://www.amazon.com/Harvester-Girls-Night-Out-ebook/dp/B008AP7ESI/ref=sr_1_15?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339491578&sr=1-15&keywords=Lynn+Crain

In the meantime Happy Independence Day!!!

Our guest of honor is Aleah Barley! It’s so nice to have you here! Hope you’re ready to party!

First Questions:

Wine or beer? (If you say club soda, we’ll have to send you to the corner…)

Uh oh, I think I’m in the corner. I’m a hardcore seltzer drinker, I even own a seltzer maker.

Cake or chips? Are you a sugar or salt kind of person?

I knew I was going to be bad at these questions. I’m a sugar person, but not necessarily a cake person… I don’t like frosting.

*squints eyes * Are you old enough to drink?

Sure, though I’m still young enough to get carded.

Wait! You can’t come in yet! What did you bring us?

She was playing with fire…
Honey Moore has made her pledge: no more stealing cars and no more lusting after Jack Ogden. But when an arsonist torches her house and chases her all over Los Angeles, she’s forced to throw herself on Jack’s mercy. No one will look for a convicted felon in an LAPD detective’s apartment, right?

…and he didn’t want to get burned.
Jack doesn’t need a woman like Honey in his life. She might be sexy, but trouble follows her everywhere. But it’s hard to walk away from someone who lives at full throttle—and even harder to keep her safe. Now he’ll have to sacrifice everything to protect Honey from the arsonist determined to kill her.

What makes your characters so special?

Jack Ogden’s a super studly LAPD detective and Honey Moore’s the spunky ex-car thief who turns to him. Between the arsonist who burned down her house and their own personal history, the sparks are explosive.

 I really think the tagline says it all: ‘He stole her heart, she stole his car.’

Alright, I guess you can come in. Now off to the roast!

What would your characters say about you?

Jack would say all the right things. He’s very polite (if you’re not breaking into his house in the middle of the night). Honey would tell me I have a boring car. She’s got a need for speed, and my seven year old station wagon just wouldn’t cut it.

What do you like doing besides writing and reading? Is it dangerous?

I ride my bike, go to the farmer’s market, and work in an office. The most dangerous part of my day is when I come home, sit on my couch, and get attacked by my cat. He’s large, fluffy, and in charge of the cushions.

Where do you dream of traveling to and why?

The beach. I dream in full blown Technicolor about the beach, which is sad since I live in the Midwest. I actually just moved to Michigan and I hear there are (lake) beaches here. I haven’t seen any yet, but I’m open to suggestions.

Do you have a favorite part of your own books and why?

Anything funny. I crack myself up.

How would you describe your writing style?

Quick paced, funny, and super spicy.

What is one thing about you that most people don’t know?

I just got my driver’s license when I moved to Detroit, so this whole ‘driving thing’ is still a new experience for me.

Who is your favorite author and why? Do you write what you read?

I like everything. I’m a total book slut. My favorite authors are broken down by category: romance (Jennifer Crusie, Victoria Dahl), mystery (Robert B Parker, Lawrence Block), fantasy (Terry Pratchett), I could go on… but I won’t. I can already see you starting to get bored.

Are you a pantser or a plotter?

I carefully plot out most of my book on yellow legal pads, which I promptly lose. I wing it from there.

What else are you working on right now?

I’m thinking about billionaires. Las Vegas billionaires. Uptight investment banker billionaires. Maybe even supernatural billionaires. Men who’ve put all their energy and drive into conquering the world, and the women who couldn’t care less.

Last question: Where can our partygoers find you and your work?

 Twitter:   https://twitter.com/AleahBarley

 Facebook:   www.facebook.com/aleahrbarley

 Website:   www.aleahbarley.blogspot.com

 Other: I can also be reached by sky writing or singing telegram.

Thank you so much for coming!

Our special guest-blog post to keep the RAH party rolling comes from a beautiful “blood-sucking” lass, Sussanah Sandlin!  Please join us in welcoming her “into the fold.”   ;D

“Vampires are dead,” everyone told me. (Well, no, they’re undead, but that’s another topic.) “They’re so yesterday. They’re so Twilight.”

I’ve never been one to listen much. Just ask my parents, teachers, bosses.…you get the idea.

So when I decided to branch out from my urban fantasy genre, where I have a series under another name, I turned to paranormal romance. I love to read it. I love a dark, tortured hero. I love the way paranormal characters allow us to shine a light on some very human issues like love and family and acceptance.

Okay, I’ll admit it. I love vampires.

I’ve actually wasted brain cells trying to figure out why I love vampires, and here’s the result of my brain-strain:

1) Torture Males. No, no. Not the BDSM kind of play-torture, or the Guantanamo kind. Women love tortured guys so we can then spend much drama and angst trying to save the big old lunkheads from themselves. And who can possibly be more tortured than some quasi-immortal being who’s probably lost more loves than we can imagine?

2) Strength…and Vulnerability. Think about it. You have these virtually immortal beings, usually with incredible strength and ability to heal. Speed. Scary mental powers. And yet, unless you let your vampires twinkle in the sunlight (pleeeeze don’t do this), there are several hours per day when they are completely vulnerable. We love caring for vulnerable beings like little babies and big dudes with fangs.

3) Need. We all know guys need us, whether they admit it or not. But think about a vampire guy. He literally can’t live without what we can give him. Okay, sure, it involves puncture wounds and a siphoning of body fluids, but in a well-done romance, the plasma donor also gets a pretty good rush from it, yes? We love to be needed.

4) Bad Boy Syndrome. Women love bad boys. I love bad boys in fiction (in real life, I usually want to kick them about the head and other body parts), and vampires are usually bad boys. The heroes in my new vampire trilogy are all bad boys in their own ways. Aidan is emotionally scarred but knows how to kick ass when he needs to, and can be a stubborn jerk. William covers his insecurity with bravado and sexual, uh, proclivity. Mirren…well, let’s just say in his human life he wore chain mail and wielded a battle axe, and he hasn’t changed that much. Whether they’re alphas or beta males, bad boy vampires are always masculine, confident (at least on the outside), and don’t play by the rules. What’s not to love?

5) Sex Gods. Let’s just say a vampire who has been around a century or three has had a LOT of time to practice his technique and has learned the art of delayed gratification. Ahem.

So…are you a vampire lover? Or are you fanged out? Leave a comment to win a copy of my new release, Redemption, the first in the Penton Legacy series, and a $10 Amazon gift card!

BLURB:

The world’s vampire population is on the brink of starvation since the vaccine to treat a global pandemic rendered human blood deadly to them. Their only hope for survival is a handful of rural areas that the vaccine never breached.

The tiny town of Penton, Alabama, is one such enclave, where the immortal Aidan Murphy has established a community of vampires and their willingly bonded humans. Together, they live in peace—until Aidan’s estranged brother descends upon the town and begins attacking its humans. Whether the rampage is a result of his centuries-old feud with Aidan or the civil war threatening to erupt in the vampire world matters not. All that matters is the blood.

Desperate to save his adopted family, Aidan breaks one of his cardinal rules, kidnapping an unvaccinated human doctor—and unexpectedly falling in love for the first time in nearly four hundred years.

Sensual and thrilling, Redemption is the first installment of what is sure to be a darkly addictive new series from paranormal romance novelist Susannah Sandlin. Book two, Absolution, will be released on September 18, followed by Omega on December 18.

Susannah is awesome enough to be offering a giveaway!  A random commenter will be selected, and will recieve: Print or digital copy of Redemption (winner’s choice) and $10 Amazon GC. International!

If you like what you see find more from/about Sussanah:

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/susannahsandlin

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/susannahsandlin

Website: http://www.susannahsandlin.com

Today we’ve got a special guest-blog about keeping that ole spark alive from Deena Remiel!  Please welcome her!

At first glance, you might think Immortals have it made. They get to live forever free of disease, free of long-lasting pain, and free to roam over the earth, experiencing all there is to this great world of ours. Yeah, that sounds really great…BUT…

When you are an immortal who is married, “till death do us part” takes on an ominous tone. Since there is no death, Immortals are married FOREVER.  So how do they keep their love alive? How do they keep boredom at bay? Since neither my husband nor I are immortal, I spoke with a married couple who are- Emma and Michael D’Angelo, from my novel, Trinity.  They gave me some great advice on how to keep the spark continually igniting. I’ve compiled my notes and I present to you now their Immortal Couple’s Advice to Long-Lasting Passion.

Suggestion Number 1: Call or text each other on the cell phone, unexpectedly, just to say hello, I love you, and maybe something a bit naughtier. Constantly change the time of the call so your partner cannot predict when it will happen. It enhances the element of surprise and the warm, happy feelings of your partner. You can also leave love notes in their pants pocket or wallet, on the toilet seat, or even in the mist on the mirror in the bathroom.

Suggestion Number 2: Take dance lessons together. There’s nothing sexier than being held closely during a Latin dance. Your bodies are so close or touching in all the right spots. You won’t want to stop. In fact, you’ll want to dance all the way to your bedroom!

Suggestion Number 3: Make sure you have a Date Night at least twice a month. Immortals can be parents as well, and it’s hard to find time to be alone together for an extended period of time. If you’ve got an extended family, or network of friends, use them to watch the kids. Then take turns. It saves money on babysitting. If you can, have the kids sleep over somewhere. Then you get the whole house to yourselves to do… well, whatever turns you on!

Suggestion Number 4: Don’t just eat your food, play with it! There is nothing that kindles the slow burn of passion like food. Chocolate syrup and whipped cream are two staples in the D’Angelo household. It’s not just for ice cream anymore! They suggest buying paint brushes so that on special Date Nights, you can do art projects on each other’s bodies. Then you can “clean up” afterwards. Find out what your Immortal partner’s favorite foods are and feast together. Feed each other. Taste each other’s food… and each other!

As you can see, there are many ways to keep the fires burning bright, even throughout eternity.

Now another immortal couple has a couple of tips to add to the list. Raphael and Serena, from my second novel, RELIC, were gracious enough to offer up these juicy morsels to spice up your relationship:

Suggestion 5: Shower together. Nuff said. This goes well with suggestion 4.

Suggestion 6: Get caught in a summer storm and stay out in it together, letting the storm charge your passion for each other.

Here’s a spicy sample of how Raphael and Serena make it hot…

     “Here it is!” Raphael called out. “One Spicy Italian foot-long sub, chips, cookie, and a soda, courtesy of Emma…and Subway, of course.” He looked like a waiter as he brought in their lunches. She smiled in spite of herself. He’d placed a towel over his arm and carried the snack tray high above his shoulders.

“Tips are not necessary but appreciated.” He continued in his waiter role, placing the tray on the coffee table before her and the towel on her lap.

    Okay, now we’ve got the playful, adorable Raphael. His moods change so much, I’m dizzy.

“I’ve got a tip for you. Life is uncertain…eat dessert first.” While he sat down next to her, she quickly snatched up the chocolate chip cookie and took a big bite, moaning in ecstasy. “Oh Raphael, you’ve got to have some.” With the cookie still warm, chocolate oozed everywhere, and Serena felt the sinful sweetness threaten to drip down her chin.

That simple suggestion seemed to send Raphael over the edge. Leaning in, he held her face in his hands and kissed her before she could say or do anything. He licked her chocolate-laden lips and teased her mouth open with his tongue.

Shocked at first, she quickly succumbed to her own burgeoning feelings and answered him back with equal enthusiasm. All thoughts of returning to the hospital left as she wrapped her arms around his waist to keep him firmly against her.

He murmured words she didn’t understand as he laid a trail over the corner of her mouth, along her cheek to the sensitive part behind her ear, and she shuddered. The lover Serena had seen lurking behind watchful eyes surfaced.

This was the man who’d gotten under her skin.

BLURB: Raphael, a Brethren Savior, an angel with a forgotten past, has lost his power to heal and is on a self-imposed guilt trip to get it back. If he can’t, his tour of eternal duty as Brethren Savior will be revoked. On his journey, he winds up enmeshed in a web of attempted murder and resurrection, all thanks to a woman he’s only seen in a photograph and by chance on an Arizona desert hiking trail.

Serena Sikes is a wanted woman. Desired by “undesirables” for a gift her brother gave her—a stolen relic with suspected healing powers. Hunted down in the Arizona desert and left for dead, she is found by none other than the angel who cannot heal.

Raphael and Serena are inexorably bound together, for locked deep within the relic’s heart had lived the soul of his long lost wife. Now, it resides inside Serena. Evil lurks around every corner as Raphael tries to keep both Serena and his dead wife’s soul alive and lustful temptation at bay.

Three souls bound together by an ancient relic, bound by a timeless gift, and bound by a love that is eternal.

Thank you so much for helping us keep the humpday party going Deena!  If you like what you see please find more from Deena:

Email: deenaremiel@yahoo.com

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Hi all, Monday’s post has broken again   :’(   Our immense apologies for that!  At the last moment PJ Schnyder was awesome enough open some time in her schedule and sit down for an impromptu interview.  

That interview will go up in a few short hours – in the meantime here’s her most recent blog post.  Thank you for your patience awesome readers!  We promise more and more giveaways in the future! 

Lori Foster’s RAGT 2012